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Lou's

3.9 (59 reviews)
Closed • 4:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)
Updated 3 months ago

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Alice D.

Came here for dinner on a Sunday evening and the space was relatively empty - not too full given the amount of tables. Ambiance felt modern and chic given the decorations and lighting which matched the overall vibes of the restaurant. Menu had a decent selection of dishes - nothing too standout as a typical American restaurant. The entree I got was okay, expensive and tasted fine. Overall, nothing special though. I probably wouldn't come back here again, but I had a fine meal with my friend. The price and quality just didn't match for me though and I probably would opt to eat somewhere else.

Caroline H.

Fantastic jazz brunch on Sundays. The Calypso type band was excellent today. The omelette was good. The sweet potatoes are fantastic! Maple and sweet potatoes are devine.

Keiichi H.

Everything went amazing in this house of great soul. Brand & Event Manager Cormac was uplifting coolest guy lately I have been communicating and open to your all kinds of whatever you wanna do wearelous.com | @lousharvardsquare 13 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA Cormac@louscambridge.com Dine in Private Party Book your own gig Whatever u wanna do ‼

Beer
Jason C.

What a cool and interesting concept. Unfortunately when you try to turn tables instead of letting people enjoy the live music and great conversation they are having it turns people off to how cool this restaurant is. The food was good. The fried pickles were permeated with peppers that over powered the entire dish. The fries were ok but a bit overpriced for what you get. The two cheese plates were probably the star of the show. They were a bit pricey but well worth the cost when you consider the taste. Drinks were solid. Service was ok but trying to turn tables takes two stars off the top given it happened no less than 3 times.

Steak frites
Jerrick C.

Really cool place to watch live music and eat/drink! The ambience of Lou's is its best asset. It's below ground level with dim lighting and vintage inspired decor. The drinks are pretty darn good, I have to admit. The food is not excellent but was good. However, the steak frites were to die for! Also, order the bread: it's so good and you get a lot of it! I've seen other complain about the service here but I've never had an issue at Lou's. I'll 100% be back. Ambience: 5/5 Food: 3.8/5 Drinks: 4.5/5 Service: 4.5/5

Dirty Martini
Baran K.

3.5/5 We had a great lunch here. I went with the grilled chicken caesar wrap and a martini, and my friend got the beet salad with a mimosa. I liked my meal, but it was nothing CRAZY. In Boston I've had and also have made some really delicious wraps, and this was average in comparison. My friend did enjoy her salad though. Nonetheless, our server was great and the restaurant itself is BEAUTIFUL, I LOVED the decor. I'm wondering if they have a patio for the summers... either way, I don't think you can go wrong, but look to the ambiance, not to the food to blow you away.

Magda C.

Atmosphere is amazing, we went when they had live jazz. Food is decent and the place looks really nice. Higher prices for the quality.

Chicken Caesar sandwich
Leah T.

Food is bomb! Staff is kind, attentive, flexible and customized our experience (my mom's birthday), jazz music was dope and overall super cute inside including seating and decor. Will be back for more eats and pics of food lol

Lou's favorite linguine & clams and the bone-in ribeye
Rheanna C.

I love Harvard Square. Truly, I don't think a single spot here has ever missed -- and Lou's not only kept the streak alive, it raised the bar. The décor? Stunning. Chandeliers for days and random books scattered around while you wait (because who doesn't love flipping through The Great Gatsby while sipping a martini?). I heard they do live music, but we missed it, which just means I'm already planning my next visit. Our server was an absolute gem! Quick, sweet, and on top of everything. The crispy Brussels? Unreal. So good we ordered another batch, and the smoky ham in there sealed the deal. Mom's meatballs tasted like someone's actual mom made them. The fries came with two mayos (& ketchup) both flavor bombs. And don't skip the charcuterie. Mortadella, perfectly chosen accompaniments, it's giving main character energy. The linguine & clams were simple perfection. The bone-in ribeye? Melted in my mouth. Like, close-your-eyes-and-savor kind of good. We wrapped up the night at the bar with espresso martinis because honestly, we didn't want to leave. The vibe, the food, the service, all flawless. Lou's isn't just a new favorite! It's a must anytime I'm back in Harvard Square.

Bea T.

Loved it! Came here for my birthday and from the outside it seemed a little bit understated but when you walk downstairs, it is a beautiful dining area with beautiful chandeliers and has a nice swing jazz vibe to it. Nice soft jazz in the evening with excellent food I ordered a wonderful swordfish very moist delicious the mussels were excellent and brussels sprouts were delicious too. That linguine and clams were delicious. I tried the crème brûlée and the coconut cake. Coconut cake was good if you like coconut but it wasn't overly sweet. It tasted almost healthy. Crème brûlée was delicious. I will definitely come here again. I really liked my server, Aiden it was very attentive.

Vicki M.

This place is so cool!! It's a hidden gem - on a lower level in Harvard Square apparently only opened a year ago. It looks like a library inside plus a live music bar. It's huge and with very elegant furnishings and lighting. We stumbled upon this place one evening as we were walking around on a Saturday evening looking for a place to eat and many of the restaurants seemed full or had lines out the door. So glad we found Lou's. They had a live band playing music on the stage at the very back and we got really nice table right in the center so we had a great view. I ordered the roasted fish alla Norma dish and the hubs ordered the burger. Both were good. I would have liked some carbs like potatoes or even some bread with my dish as it was just the fish and tomatoes and eggplant. The band was great and at one point they even did a march around the entire restaurant which was fun. Service was a bit slow at times but otherwise friendly. Overall great experience and we'll be back when in the area.

Sasha M.

A beautiful new space in Harvard Square! This place is huge! There are at least 4 or 5 different areas to sit. I went here with my friend on a Thursday and bookedthe performance seating but initially got sat at the bar next to the performance. Maybe that is also considered performance seating? However, the hostess was very kind and accommodating and sat us at an available table in front of the band where we assumed we'd be sitting from booking our reservation. They have a great selection of drinks and both the lemon drop and where's barb were delicious. The where's barb was very sweet if you like that. Our server was very kind and attentive. You also turned the lamp on to get their attention which I liked. For the food, we got the fries to share and wow the curry dip was delicious. For food I got the roasted chicken which was good but a little on the saltier side for my tasting. I did love the mashed potatoes though because it was more a puree. My friend got the halibut which she said was good but not in love with. Overall, great service, drinks, ambiance (especially hearing jazz while you eat), but I would come here again to maybe try some other stuff on their menu. Great experience that everyone should check out.

Alex K.

Lou's Harvard Square is such a cozy, charming spot -- perfect for a casual date night or relaxed dinner. The Italian comfort food is consistently delicious (the vodka sauce is a standout), and the portions are generous. The wine list is solid, the service is friendly, and the atmosphere feels warm and inviting. A neighborhood gem you'll want to come back to

Steak frites

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1 year ago

Excellent food, service and ambiance. Thoroughly enjoyed the live music, perfect for a Sunday birthday brunch.

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backbar - Bar

backbar

4.4(462 reviews)
1.4 mi
•$$

Visited in 2023 and came back again this year while on work trips both years…read more Nothing too pretentious. Very creative and well balanced drinks. Outstanding service and all the staff was knowledgeable. Id definitely like to come back if I can visit Boston again.

I am a lover of everything studio ghibli so when I saw Backbar was doing essentially a month of…read moredrinks based on the movies I knew I had to go! The bar is really funky fun which I loved. There is literally fun everywhere you look from the panda stuffed animal riding a tiger on the wall to the hilarious shrek pillow. Coming right when they open I was able to see these things that you would likely not see in the evening. But to be fair I came right when they opened since it is first come first serve. A majority of the drinks were more on the savory side which was very interesting like "may all your bacon burn" with bacon bites at the top of the drink. The drinks my friend had were all stunning with the use of egg yolk to elevate the drink. We ended the evening by walking over to Bow Market and trying Viet Citron which was so DANG GOOD my gosh. The to go orders were insane but looks like they are doing very well despite recently opening in. I got the grilled lemongrass pork ribs bowl and youtiao and the side sauce was so good. The ribs were all very meaty. It looks small but I was surprised how full I was after having it. Nice night of drinks and food. What we got Kiki's marmalade buns Castle in the sky Milk Punch May All your bacon burn

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backbar
backbar
backbar - Inside

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Inside

Nook - Interior

Nook

4.6(28 reviews)
1.2 mi

both of my drinks were delicious!! super creative menu, especially the elly the elephant drink (my…read morefav). both were pretty light drinks if that's your vibe! wish they had more food options but great spot for a quick drink. service is good!

My friend found this spot online and suggested we check it out, and I'm so glad we did. When we…read morearrived, I did not expect to find an entire courtyard filled with shops and restaurants tucked behind this little alleyway. It was such a cute hidden area, and I was already excited before we even got to the place. We headed upstairs into the bar, and the vibe was perfect. It's small, cozy, dimly lit, with vibey music playing. Since it was our first time, we were a little confused at first, but the waiter was super kind and walked us through everything. I ordered the Elly the Elephant and my friend got the Laughing Gull, and we both really enjoyed our drinks. One thing I thought was really nice is that they allow you to grab food from the surrounding restaurants and bring it in to eat there. We didn't end up doing that, but we did get the charcuterie board they had. It came with cheeses, crackers, and some fruit, and you can add meats for $10, which we opted out for. I will say I was a little disappointed by the fruit portion. The menu mentioned fresh fruit, so I expected more than three thin orange slices and one sliced strawberry. HOWEVER, when I asked for more strawberries, our waiter kindly brought out a whole bowl for me, which I really appreciated. We stayed for about two hours, and as the night went on the place definitely got more crowded, so we headed out. Overall, this is such a cute and cozy cocktail bar. I'll definitely be back when the weather is warmer to try the other drinks and restaurants in the market.

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Nook
Nook - Inside

Inside

Nook - Smokey delight

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Smokey delight

Darling - Bang Bang Gai

Darling

4.5(72 reviews)
1.2 mi•Central Square, Cambridgeport
•$$$

Really cute spot with such a nice vibe! We didn't have a reservation but luckily they were able to…read moreseat us. We did have to leave the table within an hour though, so I'd definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time if you want to stay longer and enjoy the experience without feeling rushed. The drinks were delicious and probably my favorite part! We also tried the chicken and thought the food was pretty good overall. The atmosphere was fun and made it a great spot for a night out. Would definitely come back, especially to try more of the drinks and a few more things from the food menu next time!

This was a fun spot! The vibe can be date night or girls night. Would recommend reservation - you…read moreneed to have even for the bar. We grabbed a last minute one around 530p. Made me a little anxious bc you have to put a credit card down and my friend is flakier than a KFC fried chicken bucket. Funny enough - she beat me there. She had already been on a date and was excited to go back. She's gluten free and we had plenty of options - even the fried chicken bites or whatever name they are. I thought the cucumber were phenomenal. Almost ate the whole thing myself. As for the drinks, for me, it's another place where the ingredient list is too complicated. I hate having to google 3 out of 4 of things in my drink - the 4th being the type of liquor in it.. they do have a blurb at the end to explain what the drinks going to be like. I went with the one that's supposed to be close to a margarita. Unfortunately it came with bubbles which wasn't noted on the menu. I can't have bubbles :( which is a bummer bc they're so fun - something about infusing with their own CO2? Yo no se pero the bartender was lovely and gave me another beverage with no extra charge. I also ordered the non-alcoholic old fashioned which was quite nice and pretty light. We ordered the cheesecake bc it's gf (house but they have other flavors) and holy hell.. should I eat cheesecake? No. Did I keep going back for more after I said only a couple bites? Duh. It's from a local spot - Korean Mama. FAVORITE item of the night. When making the reservation I noted that we were going for a birthday and the bartender brought us over some small pours of sake to celebrate since they heard us talking about it earlier. I may not rush back, but my friend has been back twice already.

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Darling
Darling - Noodles with veg

Noodles with veg

Darling - Five Amaro Julep - ok, taste like a regular tiki drink.

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Five Amaro Julep - ok, taste like a regular tiki drink.

The Wig Shop - Bar

The Wig Shop

4.4(187 reviews)
3.2 mi•Downtown

Amazing drinks!!! I loved my Helena and my fiancé's Curly Cola - drinks are alcohol forward so…read morewould recommend getting some of the small bites offered. If you've ever been to Backbar, it's the same great quality of drinks just south of the river! Service was great and super attentive when refilling water and getting our orders in. They do have a pretty strict 1.5hr reservation time because it gets pretty packed

It's nice when a place that you have high hopes for, lives up to that. Or in the case of the Wig…read moreShop, was even better than I expected. We arrived for our whirlwind 1 day Boston day with a few things planned. The Wig Shop was a spot I had earmarked as a maybe. On the way to Boston by train from New York, I read an article of great bars in all of America, and the Wig Shop had made their list. I showed my gal as we were in route to Boston, and we agreed that Karma was leading us there. I checked about a reservation, but ended up going over early to try and beat the walk in crowd. That worked out great, we had almost no wait. The place was full. There were alot of people enjoying the food menu, which we didn't plan on since we had dinner reservations elsewhere for later. But we got a couple of drinks. There are many types of speakeasies. The Wig Shop is one of favorite kinds, classy. The drinks were alcohol forward, with elegant presentations. It was perfect. It was nice that the universe pointed us towards this great Boston spot.

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The Wig Shop
The Wig Shop
The Wig Shop

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Wusong Road - Summer Rolls Shrimp (gf)

Wusong Road

4.2(474 reviews)
0.1 mi•Harvard Square, West Cambridge
•$$

The staff here is amazing. They go above and beyond when it comes to allergies/intolerances. I…read moreaccidentally tried to order a drink that I didn't realize had some sort of cream liquor in it. The bartender warned me because they had overheard me talking to my friend about the menu, and mentioning that I can't have any dairy. I always enjoy the food here, and I love that there's a sign in the bathroom letting patrons know that if they are on a bad date, or need help, they can let the staff there know. Amazing.

My friends and I like to try tiki bars when we travel. After doing so research, it seems that this…read morewas our best option! We were there at the end of September and they had started to decorate for Halloween. It was cool to get a preview. The decor is everything at this place and they did a great job even if the place is very big! They have stuff everywhere without making it tacky. The only spot that was a bit of a let down was the bathroom. They have excellent drinkware with different glasses for each drinks. You can purchase most of them as well. As I said before, I have been around a fair amount of tiki bars, so here is my review of the cocktails. They were good but not exceptional for that price range. I tried four total and they tended to be a bit one note (sweet or bitter). They rely a lot on the cool cups but lack garnishes. I like my drinks with lots of trinkets and pieces of fruits! I did enjoy that they had a unique Asian twists on some classics. Our waitress was fine but didn't seem to fit the theme.

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Wusong Road - Interior

Interior

Wusong Road - Baos (crispy queso chichuahua & katsu chicken)

Baos (crispy queso chichuahua & katsu chicken)

Wusong Road - Bao - Cha Siu Pork Belly

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Bao - Cha Siu Pork Belly

Lou's - tapasmallplates - Updated November 2026

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